Welcome to 2012…Oh, By The Way, Rock Is Dead

Describing 2011 as the “most numbing year for mainstream rock music in history”, Jon Caramanica, in the New York Times, claims that “rock is becoming a graveyard of aesthetic innovation and creativity”. While he doesn’t quite go as far as pronouncing the genre “dead”, he does describe it as “zombified”. Caramanica sites as examples the latest releases by Foster The People, The Black Keys and Hot Chelle Rae, while bemoaning the absence of new music by rock veterans such as Bruce Springsteen and U2.

While I agree with a few of the points made…there have been very few “great” albums released over the past decade or so, the point Caramanica seems to be missing is that true rock & roll is at its best when it is outside of the mainstream. As Patti Smith put it, “outside of society”. So, yeah, mainstream bands like Nickleback suck, but for those willing to put in a little effort, there’s plenty happening in the “underground” where rock & roll has always flourished.

Here’s the link to the New York Times article.

What do you think?